State-approved emergency programs open for dependents of essential employees and Phase 1 reopening employees

Physical Precautions:

• Maintain physical distancing (greater than 6') wherever possible.
• Use of personal protective equipment, including face coverings and gloves, by all employees.
• High-contact surfaces (those with hourly or greater contact frequency) will be cleaned with CDC- & EPA-approved disinfectant at least every 2 hours.
• All employees must receive training on CDC COVID-19 guidance appropriate to their workplace prior to working.

Guidance for Childcare Download Protective Measures

Reopen fully with precautions and guidance

• Maintain physical distancing (greater than 6') wherever possible.
• Use of personal protective equipment (PPE), including face coverings, by all employees.
• Physical distancing markers for staff.
• High-contact surfaces (those with hourly or greater contact frequency) will be cleaned with CDC- & EPA-approved disinfectant at least every 2 hours.
• All employees must receive training on CDC COVID-19 guidance appropriate to their workplace prior to working.

CDC Guidance for Manufacturing Download Protective Measures

Hair salons and barber shops for select hair services only

Physical Precautions:

• Maintain physical distancing (greater than 6') wherever possible.
• Use of personal protective equipment, including face coverings and gloves, by all employees.
• Limited to 1 customer for every 200 sq. ft of service delivery space.
• Physical distancing markers for staff and customers required.
• Customers required to wear face coverings.
• High-contact surfaces (those with hourly or greater contact frequency) will be cleaned with CDC- & EPA-approved disinfectant at least every 2 hours.
• All employees must receive training on CDC COVID-19 guidance appropriate to their workplace prior to working.

MD Best Practice for Reopening Personal Services Download Protective Measures

Outdoor seating (Curbside pick-up still allowed)

Starting Monday, June 1, at 6 a.m., all restaurants, bars, and other similar establishments that sell food and beverages for on-site consumption in Montgomery County will be permitted to serve customers in outdoor seating areas after completing an easy registration process with the County.  The County’s goal is to make this process as easy as possible so that restaurants can provide outdoor dining in a safe and responsible way. 

Easy Steps for Outdoor Dining

Scenario #1: if your facility is currently permitted to have outdoor dining/alcohol service and you simply want to reopen this service under the new guidelines, you will need to: 

1. Register your establishment’s interest in providing outdoor dining under the COVID-19 guidelines with the County’s Department of Permitting Services.
2. Review Montgomery County’s reopening “ Restaurants Checklist.” - and abide by the requirements

Scenario #2: if you are currently permitted for dining/alcohol service and wish to modify your existing space or create a new outdoor area, you will need to:

1. Register your establishment’s interest in providing outdoor dining under the COVID-19 guidelines with the County’s Department of Permitting Services.
2. Review Montgomery County’s reopening “ Restaurants Checklist.” - and abide by the requirements
3. Apply for a “Temporary Business Modification” (extended outdoor space) with the County’s Alcohol Beverage Services unit.

Outdoor Dining Registration and Temporary Business Modifications will be in effect the day of application! A County representative will be in touch after your submission to offer assistance. 

Scenario #3: if you are a property owner, business organization, or group of businesses interested in creating “streeteries,” communal dining areas, temporary consumption areas, dining in public spaces and the like, please send an email to outdoordiningcovid19@montgomerycountymd.gov and we will be happy to guide you through this process.

Download Easy Steps for Outdoor Dining

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Physical Precautions:

• Maintain physical distancing (greater than 6') wherever possible.
• Use of personal protective equipment by all employees.
• Physical distancing markers for staff and customers required.
• Customers required to wear face coverings except when eating.
• High contact surfaces (those with hourly or greater contact frequency) will be cleaned with CDC- & EPA- approved disinfectant at least every 2 hours.
• All employees must receive training on CDC COVID-19 guidance.

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Restaurants Checklist

Business owners should assess whether they are ready to open in a modified posture, while adhering to public health guidance.

Operations checklist

Restaurant should develop an operations plan, The plan should address the following:

• Creation of a sitemap (including location of business staff, proposed signage of requirements, queue spacing among customers, seating, access to bathrooms, entry and exits to the line, hand sanitizer stations, if applicable).
• Ensure proper sanitization protocols and supplies to include:
  • Sanitize all common items at each table seating, and consider using single-use utensils and condiments.  Also consider single-use disposable paper menus or sanitize reusable menus between each seating.
  • Clean and sanitize all food-contact surfaces every 2 hours.
• Ensure food-handling staff wear masks and gloves.
• Prepare online reservation and ordering systems whenever possible to keep customer logs to facilitate contact tracing.
• Speak with your staff to assess who is ready and willing to return and inform them of your operations plan.

Implementation checklist

Restaurants should develop an implementation plan, addressing the following:

• Communication strategy, both before and during hours of operation, to inform the public and staff of the safety requirements.
• Communication strategy regarding safety requirements for customers, both before and during hours of operation.
• Method for monitoring and ensuring compliance with safety requirements for employees.
• Proposed measures should an employee or employer fail to comply with safety requirements.
• Staffing needed to address concerns or potential violations, and show the location of applicable staff on the site plan.

Closure plan checklist

In the event restaurant operation must modify due to a health incident or executive order, the business should be prepared to initiate a closure plan. The closure plan should address the following:

• Proposed steps the restaurant will take to close.
• If closure or modified operations is mandated through an executive order.
• Communications to employees and customers about the modified operations or closure.

Download Restaurants Checklist

Curbside only

Physical Precautions:

• Maintain physical distancing (greater than 6'), wherever possible, between employees and customers at curbside and in-store operations.
• Use of personal protective equipment by all employees.
• Physical distancing markers for staff and customers required.
• Customers required to wear face coverings.
• High-contact surfaces (those with hourly or greater contact frequency) will be cleaned with CDC- & EPA-approved disinfectant at least every 2 hours.
• All employees must receive training on CDC COVID-19 guidance appropriate to their workplace prior to working.

CDC Business and Workplace Toolkit

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Curbside Retailers Checklist

Business owners should assess if they are ready to open in a modified posture, while adhering to public health guidance.

Operations Checklist

In developing an operations plan, it should address the following:
Create sitemap (including location of business staff, propose signage of requirements, queue spacing among customers, entry and exits to the line, hand-sanitizer stations (if applicable))

• Ensure proper sanitization protocols and supplies to include:
  • Sanitize carts, pens, and other commonly use shopping materials between customers
  • Provide hand sanitizer in areas of high contact (e.g. at checkout counters)
  • Ensure mask and glove use by employees
  • Allow multiple ways to pay, including mobile applications
• Prepare online ordering or reservations systems whenever possible to keep customer logs to facilitate contact tracing
• Speak with your staff to assess who is ready and willing to return and inform them of your plan operations

Implementation Checklist

In developing an implementation plan, it should address the following:

• Communication strategy, both before and during hours of operation, to inform the public and staff of the safety requirements
• Communication strategy regarding safety requirements for customers, both before and during hours of operation
• Method for monitoring and ensuring compliance with safety requirements for employees
• Proposed implementation measures should an employee or employer fail to comply with safety requirements and
• Staffing needed to address concerns or potential violations - show location on - site plan

Closure Plan Checklist

In the event retail operations must modify due to a health incident or executive order, the business should be prepared to initiate a closure plan. The closure plan should address the following:

• Proposed steps to close
• If closure or modified operations is mandated through an executive order, ensure full steps are taken to comply with the order
• Communications to employees and customers about the modified operations or closure and
• Continue to monitor guidance from Montgomery County Government at montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19

Download Curbside Retailers Checklist